Hwachae, a refreshing and colorful Korean beverage/dessert that is perfect for hot sunny days.
Jump to Recipe!What is Hwachae?
If you have been on TikTok, you have probably seen this viral dessert all over your for you page of people recreating the Korean fruit punch aka Hwachae!
This is a refreshing, delightful drink and dessert that is pronounced: “hwa-chay”. Hwachae is often times made with fresh fruits, edible flowers, herbs, and spices, combined with a sweetened liquid base such as the combination of milk and sparkling water. It is a beloved part of Korean culture, especially during the summer when the heat is getting a little bit unbearable as it offers a delightful way to quench thirst and enjoy a burst of natural flavors.
Fun fact: hwachae has deep roots in Korean culinary history as it is belived to be enjoyed as early as the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1919) and possibly even earlier.
Hwachae is very versatile!
The ingredients of hwa differ for every single person, and that is because this dish is SO versatile! For instance, although the most traditional hwachae is made with fresh fruits like watermelon, if you have a preference for strawberries, melons, or grapes, feel free to add those fruits instead! because believe me, it will all turn out to be incredibly delicious anyways. The traditional hwachae will also involve edible flowers such as chrysanthemum or honeysuckle as well as herbs like mint or omija!
In this blog for my hwachae, I incorporated fruits such as cantaloupes, dragon fruits, strawberries, blueberries, and cranberries just because they are the most accessible fruits in my case!
Sweetened liquid Base for Hwachae
The ingredients for hwachae evolve from time to time as well. From Joseon distantly, people would add the traditional rice punch also known as “sikhye” as a sweetened liquid base for the hwachae. It has the effect of not only sweetening the dessert but also enhancing the overall flavors.
However, in today’s world, the Hwachae that we all know about is made up of 2 main liquid sweeteners: milk and sparkling water.
Milk: I used Calpicos strawberry flavored yogurt milk for this selection, but you can totally just use whole milk, almond milk coconut milk, or any dairy of your choice.
strawberry Korean milk seems to be a really popular choice now days for its vibrant pink color !
Sparkling water: I am using Stary lemon limes for my sparkling water option, but I have tried with other sparkling water such as Sprite, Perrier Water, and even Mountain Dew, and they have all worked out so well. it is important to add sparkling water to your hwachae recipe as the carbonation makes it more enjoyable and refreshing.
Be creative!
Besides the main ingredients that you must add for hwachae ( fruits, milk and sparkling water). You can totally be creative and add in other toppings to make your hwachae even more tasteful! For instance, in my recipe, I added in the apple jellos that I found in my local grocery store, but feel free to add in any other jellies that you would like as this adds an even more refreshing taste and texture to your hwachae. Other toppings that I would suggest besides jelly would be popping boba, mochis, chia seeds, honey, and just really anything that you think would be good with it! so be creative, and have a lot of fun while making this dessert~
Preparation Process
Start by preparing all your fruits by cutting off the stems/skin and cutting them into small cubes
add all your preferred fruits and toppings in a bowl
start pouring in your sparkling water and dairy option (this should be the ratio of 1/1) and simply enjoy!
Korean Hwachae
Delightful and refreshing Korean hwachae that would cheer you up on any hot day!
Ingredients
350g fruits of your choice (2 cups)
- watermelon
- strawberries
- blueberries
- melons
- cantaloupe
- dragonfruits
- cranberries
236g dairy of your choice (1 cup) chilled
- milk
- yogurt drinks
- banana milk
- strawberry milk
- yakult
- calpico
360g sparkling water of your choice (1 + 1/2 cup) chilled
- sprite
- starry lemon lime
- mountain dew
- perrier water
Toppings of your choice (optional)
- jellies
- boba
- honey/syrups as sweetener if you choose to use none sweet dairy/sparking water options.
Instructions
- cut and dice up your choice of fruits
- in a big bowl add in all your diced fruits and choice of toppings
- pour in your dairy options and fizzy water options
- stir your hwachae a bit to make sure that all the ingredients has been well incorprated
- enjoy!
watch video:
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